


It Isn't That Much Fun, Staring Down A Loaded Gun

by xhangemhighx



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, References to Depression, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24595189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhangemhighx/pseuds/xhangemhighx
Summary: An au posted on my quotev. I have a lot of stuff on there, including a ton more of these I'll be posting. Here's the link: https://www.quotev.com/xthejetsetlifeisgonnakillyoux
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	It Isn't That Much Fun, Staring Down A Loaded Gun

**Author's Note:**

> An au posted on my quotev. I have a lot of stuff on there, including a ton more of these I'll be posting. Here's the link: https://www.quotev.com/xthejetsetlifeisgonnakillyoux

Will sat behind the desk at his father's office - the center for mental help and suicide prevention. His feet were propped up on a short bookshelf and he was sitting in a chair in a way that threatened to topple it over if he tried to get up. His headphones were plugged into his phone, so he happily blared The Rolling Stones and closed his eyes. He did this every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, when his father worked late. Today was a cold October Friday.

Not many patients came in on Friday. Those who did were checked in by the secretary and sat in uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, either looking sad, jumpy, or both. On this Friday, the secretary, Miss. Ellis was on a vacation to somewhere in Europe. Will took her place, but he didn't do much work. He was brought back to the present when the office door opened and slammed shut.

A woman and a girl walked in. The woman had dark hair, blue eyes, and a stern expression. She wore a simple black sweater and a skirt, while the girl wore a long sleeved green shirt and ripped jeans. A boy followed them in. He was short and paler than both of them, with the same curling black hair and very dark eyes as the girl.

He sat down in the corner next to the girl. His sister, Will figured. He yanked off his headphones and took his feet off the bookshelf. That was a bad idea. He ended up sprawled on the floor with a bruise on his knee.

Will groaned and pulled himself up, trying not to wince.

"Do you have an appointment?" Will asked as calmly as he could manage.

"Yes," The woman replied. "Nico di Angelo at 8:30."

"Alright," Will sighed, checking the online list and clicking Nico's name when it came up. "Dr. Solace will be ready shortly."

Will's father called the family in 5 minutes later. Thirty minutes into the session, the boy came out and stood in the hallway. Will's father must have been talking to his family. The boy huddled on the floor and pulled out his phone. He plugged his headphones in and ignored the rest of the world.

After an hour had passed, the family left. As the boy walked out, he met Will's eyes. Will smiled at him. He hoped Nico would get better. Maybe he'd find a girl who liked him or have amazing friends. He didn't like seeing anyone in pain, mentally or physically. That's why he was going to be a doctor.

***

Will was back at the office on Monday, which was slightly more busy. The boy and his family walked in thirty minutes before the center closed, much to Will's surprise. Patients usually had one or two sessions a month. Nico's condition must have been worse than the typical "my girlfriend broke up with me" or "my grandma died."

Will was listening to music once more, but this time it was Smoke and Mirrors by Imagine Dragons. He had seen them in concert two months ago, and it had been amazing. The center closed right after the family left. Will grabbed his backpack and followed them out. The woman and Nico's sister crossed the street and got in the car.

Nico was about to cross the street when a car came from nowhere. Will yanked him backwards, but the car still grazed his leg.

"Sit down," Will ordered, pulling Nico over to the sidewalk.

"Why?" Nico objected.

"Your leg is clearly bleeding," Will answered, pulling bandages out of his backpack.

He wrapped a few around Nico's leg and placed pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"You may need to go to the hospital," He clarified. "It could be broken."

Nico sighed. The woman and the girl walked up to him. The girl sadly looked down at his leg.

"Come on," She said, grabbing Nico's arm and hauling him up. "We're taking you to the hospital."

The woman helped get him into the car. Hopefully he was okay and hadn't broken his leg. He had just seemed shocked.

***

It had been two weeks since Will had seen Nico. He sat in the office, really wanting to go home. Christmas was in two days. Even though he wanted people to get help for their mental state, Will wished his father could spend more time with him. The holidays were pretty much the only times they had to be a family.

Nico walked in with his sister and his "mother." He was limping just a little, but he didn't have a cast or anything. He was alright. Will somehow felt relieved knowing Nico was safe. He didn't even know the kid, but he worried about him. He couldn't understand.

Nico smiled at Will as he sat down. Will felt compelled to smile back or squeal for no reason. For God's sake, he wasn't a girl obsessing over that one hot guy in her class. He'd never even dated anyone before! Yet here he was, developing a crush on the kid with depression. Earlier in the week, Will had looked up Nico's files on his father's computer. His patients' problems were supposed to be kept secret, but Will really wanted to know.

Apparently he had depression and tried to commit suicide once. Why had nobody helped him before? The girl who looked like him was his sister Bianca, and the woman was his adoptive mother, Laurina di Angelo (nee Hefner). Nico was the same age as Will, and they went to the same school. Strange. Will had never seen Nico at school before. Maybe he would someday.

***

Will sat at his lunch table with his group of friends. Some of them were close, some weren't. He wasn't popular, but he wasn't alone either. He didn't talk much at lunch, except to Lou Ellen and one or two other people. He looked around the cafeteria, hoping to see who Luke, the school bully, was picking on today. He wished he could do something about it, but he never had the courage.

Will saw Luke in the corner next to a nearly empty table. Those were rare, seeing as everyone was crowded next to each and people would have wanted to move. Everyone must have hated the poor kid that sat by themselves. Will looked past Luke to see a small, pale figure clothed in all black. Nico, the boy he had saved from being hit by a car. The one who had attempted suicide and was most likely still depressed.

Will got up. He couldn't let Luke bully Nico. He could end up committing suicide and it was wrong to bully people. Lou Ellen was in the middle of saying something when he got up.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To fix something." He replied.

He walked down the lunchroom towards Luke and Nico. The lunchroom got quieter as they realized what he was doing. He could get expelled if it ended in a fight, but Will didn't care. He had to help Nico.

"Leave him alone," Will ordered when he was behind Luke.

"Well look at this!" Luke exclaimed. "Will Solace, trying to defend a fag. What, are you going to be the next Spider-Man?"

"No," Will replied. "I just want you to leave him alone."

"Listen here you little piece of shit," Luke said. "You don't tell what to do. Why the hell would I leave him alone? Even God doesn't love him." 

Will frowned. "You're a jerk."

Luke spat in Will's face and tried to punch him. Will stepped to the right and kicked Luke in the crotch, making the onlookers wince and talk amongst each other. He groaned and bent over for a few seconds. He punched Will in the right eye. Will hit him in the arm. Then somebody grabbed his arm. Mr. Smith, his science teacher, was holding him back. The gym teacher held Luke back. The art teacher was standing next to Nico, talking to him.

"All of you, to the principal's office." Ordered the art teacher. 

The teachers let go of Will and Luke. They glared at each other and walked down the lunchroom towards the doors that led to the principal's office. 

"Thank you." Nico whispered into Will's ear. "Also, I never thanked you for the car incident. So thanks for that."

"Luke is horrible and I'm sure anyone would have pulled you back." Will responded.

"Not many people would have done that." Nico replied. "A lot of people hate me. You're the first person to be nice to be in a long time, besides my sister."

"I don't hate you." Will told him. "There's no reason to. I barely know you, but I don't hate what I know."

"What do you know?" Nico questioned.

"You're quiet and you wear cool band t-shirts." Will noted. "Luke called you a certain f word, are you gay? Wait, you don't have to answer that."

"I am." Nico whispered. "That's why most people hate me."

"I don't hate that either." Will added. "That'd be hating myself too."

"You're gay?" He gasped.

Will nodded. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody else knows though."

"Come on lovebirds!" Luke urged.

"Fuck you." Nico snapped.

"I bet you would." Luke countered.

Will sighed. "Nobody would. Not even if you had a girlfriend."

Luke muttered something offensive under his breath that Will pretended not to hear. He stuck up his middle finger, even though no one could see it. A personal act of hatred. 

The trio arrived at the principal's office and walked in. The secretary frowned at Luke and looked sympathetic towards Nico. She looked confused when looking at Will. He was a good kid, always on the honor roll and never got into fights. They sat down in front of the desk. Mr. Smith walked into the principal's office to explain and have them called in.

Luke was called in first to give his excuse. He'd been called up so many times Will doubted that the principal believed a word he said. After a few minutes, Nico had to go in. Luke came out and sat back down, glaring at Will.

"You should never have gotten into this," He snarled.

Will ignored him and stared at the pictures of previous students on the wall. The office was boring, in the plain school colors of grey, black, and white. Offices were supposed to be serious. Will never wanted to work in one.

Eventually Nico came out and Will was called in. With one last glance at Nico, Will walked in, shut the door, and sat down.

"You're Will Solace, correct?" Mr. Addison asked.

Will nodded. "Yes."

"And you attempted to injure Luke Castellan?" Mr. Addison suggested.

Will nodded again.

"Explain to me exactly what happened." Demanded Mr. Addison.

"I was sitting at my lunch table with my friends and I saw Luke standing next to Nico. I knew Luke was the school bully and I didn't want him to be mean to Nico. I walked over to him and told him to leave Nico alone several times. He refused. He spat in my face and tried to punch. I kicked him in the crotch and hit him in the arm. He hit me in the eye. He called Nico an f word and me the s word. I called him a jerk. Then the teachers grabbed us."

Mr. Addison nodded. "How do you know Nico?"

"I've seen him around school before." Will lied.

"Has he gone to your father's office for therapy sessions?" Mr. Addison questioned.

"That's private information." Will informed.

"He told me that." Mr. Addison stated. "He also said you saved his life once when he was hit by a car."

Will nodded once more. "That's true."

"Alright," Mr. Addison sighed. "Go sit back down. All three of you will come back in when I decide what to do."

Will walked out of the office and sat back down next to Nico.

"You didn't do anything," Will whispered. "You shouldn't be punished for what I did."

"It's fine." Nico insisted. "You stood up for me. That shouldn't be punishable."

Will smiled. "I did what I thought was right. I also saw your files at my dad's office, so I knew it wouldn't be good to let him bully you. I wouldn't let him hurt you, especially after what I read."

"What was in it?" Nico asked. 

"It said you were really depressed." Will said, leaving the suicide attempt out. "It also said your birthday and basic facts. Nothing really about your condition."

"Oh," Nico sighed. "There's a few other things, but I don't want to talk about them."

"That's okay." Will assured him. "You don't have to tell me anything, especially not while we're in school."

Nico nodded.

"Nico, Luke, and Will, please come into my office." Mr. Addison bellowed. 

They stood up and walked into Mr. Addison's office. Luke quickly sat down in the chair so Nico and Will had to stand. Will frowned. That was truly evil.

"It's been decided." Mr. Addison announced. "Nico will face no punishment, Will is suspended for a day, and Luke is suspended for three days. As for now, I've called all of your parents and they're coming to pick you up. Go sit back down."

Luke groaned. Nico and Will walked back into the office and sat down next to each other.

"My stepmom's gonna be pissed." He complained. "Even though I didn't do anything, she'll still punish me."

"She sounds horrible!" Will exclaimed. "My dad won't be too harsh on me. Probably just disappointed."

"What about your mom?" Nico asked.

"My parents are divorced," Will explained, "My mom is a country singer and I only see her on holidays."

"My dad had been on one long business trip since I was 9,"Added Nico. "I haven't talked to him for months."

"Three cheers for horrible parents." Will deadpanned.

Nico hummed Helena by My Chemical Romance.

"Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge is an amazing album." Will insisted.

"It's my favorite," Nico agreed. "My Chemical Romance is my favorite band."

Will smiled. "I like older stuff mainly. Queen, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin."

The door to the office opened and a woman walked in. Nico's stepmother, Laurina Hefner. Nico sat up straight when he saw her, but didn't look her in the eye. He looked back at Will.

"I'll see you in two days." Nico grinned a small bit.

Will smiled. "Adios."

***

Will walked into the lunchroom and spied Nico sitting in the corner alone, just like the first time. Will stood by his lunch table for a few seconds.

"Do you mind if I sit somewhere else today?" He asked.

"I wouldn't mind." Lou Ellen replied. "Go sit with your little boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." Will muttered. "I doubt he'd like me like that."

Despite arguing, Will felt a little pleasure at Nico being called his boyfriend. He shouldn't have, but he did. He looked at Nico sitting alone. People would make fun of him for sitting with Nico, but Will didn't care. He would do it anyways.

Will walked over and sat down next to Nico, surprising him.

"You're back!" He exclaimed.

"The gay avenger is at your service." Will joked.

"Did you see that on tumblr?" Nico asked.

"Yep," Will replied. "Tumblr is amazing. Mine is full of gay things and music."

"Same," Nico replied.

"What's yours?" Will asked. "I'll follow you. You might as well give your number while I'm at it. The gay avenger shall protect you on all forms of social media."

Nico pulled out a pen from his pencil pouch and wrote down his Instagram, tumblr, and phone number on a napkin. He handed it to Will.

"I trust you to protect me, gay avenger." Nico told him.

"I'll spam you with memes, Spider-Man quotes, and songs I recommend." Will added.

Nico smiled. "I'll quote you on that."

***

Will sat behind the secretary desk once more. He yawned, but he couldn't fall asleep. Nico's name was on the list for 8:30 and he wasn't going to be sleeping when he arrived. He listened to The Rolling Stones. They were older than his father, but still amazing. Will saw and heard the door to the office open. He watched as Nico walked in behind his "family." Bianca and Laurina sat down, but Nico stood in front of the front desk.

"Hey," Will greeted. "I totally didn't see you a couple hours ago."

Nico grinned slightly, the left side of his mouth raised a little higher than the right. "Yes, totally."

"I would actually come out and stand in front of the front desk to talk to you, but I'm stuck." Will began. "The door is locked and I can't get out. I could try to climb over the computer and get out through that hole, but I don't want to break anything."

Nico nodded. "How'd you lock yourself in there?"

"I don't know." Will replied. "The keys are missing and they were sitting on the desk. They're gone and I looked everywhere."

"Have you tried your pocket?" Nico asked.

"No," Will stated.

He reached into his pocket and frowned. "They were there the whole time."

Will walked over to the door and unlocked it. He put the keys back in his pocket. He shut the door and stood next to Nico. They were so close that they almost touched.

Laurina seemed to notice, she glared at Will. Will's dad stepped into the room and smiled when he saw Will and Nico talking. He was probably glad to see his son and his patient making friends and helping each other out. 

"I'd like to talk to Mrs. di Angelo and Bianca first." He announced.

Bianca and Laurina got up and followed him into one of the back rooms. He shut the door behind them.

Will turned to Nico. "Do you want to hear one of my favorite songs?"

"Yeah," Nico replied.

Will took out his phone and grabbed his headphones. He plugged his headphones into his phones and put them on Nico. Will selected Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones and it began to play on the headphones.

"That's a really good song," Nico admitted once it was over and he had pulled the headphones off. "What was it?"

"Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones." Will informed. "It came out in 1966."

"You have great music taste." Nico complimented.

Will smiled. "You too."

Bianca and Laurina walked back into the lobby and sat down. Will's father motioned for Nico to come with him. Nico followed him. He looked over his shoulder at Will and nearly ran into the wall. Will suppressed his laughter. He grinned and Nico smiled back.

***

Nico and Will texted each other frequently. Will sat at Nico's lunch table every day. One day, he'd introduce Nico to his other friends and he'd sit with them. He didn't think Nico was ready yet. As the days went by, Will began to know him better. 

Will noticed that Nico rarely talked about his home life. He only mentioned that Bianca was going to go to college soon. Will wanted to know more, but he wasn't going to ask or be forceful about it. Nico could tell him when he wanted to. 

***

Will walked over to Nico, who was sitting at his usual lunch table. He usually got his lunchbox from Lou Ellen since she knew his locker combination and passed by it on her way to the cafeteria. This time, he looked over and saw two empty seats.

"Is somebody going to sit there?" Will asked Lou.

"I don't think so." Lou replied. "Why? Are you bringing Nico over here?"

Will nodded. "Please be nice to him."

Will walked over to Nico, who stared at him. 

"Do you want to meet some of my other friends?" Will asked. "They're nice, I swear."

"Uhh," Nico hesitated. "You're friends with them, so they can't be too bad. On the end, there is me, the disaster that you somehow wanted to befriend."

"You're not a disaster," Will convinced. "You're actually a nice person. People just don't know you."

"Me?" Nico exclaimed. "Nice? I think you've got it wrong."

Will shook his head. "Come on, let's go meet my friends."

Nico nodded. "Alright."

He grabbed his backpack and got up. Will walked down the cafeteria, Nico behind him. Will ushered Nico to the seat closest to the wall then sat beside him.

"This is Nico," Will announced. "You will be nice to him or face my wrath."

"What's your wrath?" Lou asked. "Stealing our books so we can't study?"

"How about shining a flashlight in their face during the whole lunch period?" The boy on Lou's left suggested. 

Will looked at the boy. "That's Cecil." He told Nico. "The girl on his right is Lou and next to her are Conner and Travis Stoll, the school pranksters."

"Hi," Nico said shyly.

"I like your shirt," Lou told him.

Nico looked down and saw that he was wearing his Fall Out Boy shirt. "Thanks."

"Nice to meet you," Conner said. "Travis and I can prank Luke for you if you want revenge. He is an asshole and a horrible person."

"He's not a person," Will corrected. "He's a monster."

"True." Nico agreed.

"Are you going to agree with me on everything?" Will questioned.

Nico nodded.

"How about having to wake up early being the worst part of school?" Will insisted.

"It is." Nico complained.

"How about Luke is attractive?" Will inquired.

Nico stared at him in horror. "That's one thing I'll never say yes to."

"I certainly agree with you," Will admitted. "Luke is trash. Anyone who messes with you will earn a free punch from me and not the delicious drinkable kind."

The group talked throughout lunch, always including Nico. Will even gave Nico his cheez-its, one of his favorite snacks, since Nico couldn't pack or buy himself a lunch. After lunch, Will and Nico walked behind the group in the hallway.

"They were nice." Nico acknowledged. "They included me."

"They really are." Will responded. "I told you people liked you."

Nico smiled. "I believe you now."

***

Will sat on his bedroom floor, organizing the equipment in his father's first aid bag. It didn't need it, but Will was going to be a doctor, so he wanted to at least know how to wrap a bandage or use the eye wash he didn't think he'd ever need. In the middle of putting bandages away, Will got a text. The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy was playing, the ringtone he had assigned to Nico. He looked at the phone to see a message that was seemingly random and then texted Nico back. 

N: Would you date me if we were the last two people on Earth?

W: Yes

N: What if we were just like we are now?

W: Yep

N: Will you go out with me?

W: Definitely 

N: :)

Will smiled. He thought of Nico sitting in his room, looking at the screen. He could imagine Nico smiling joyfully. That made Will's heart race. Nico, who had experienced depression that was so bad he nearly attempted suicide was happy and Will had made him so. He'd saved his life, in a way.

W: Send me a photo of you so I can use it as your contact image

N: *sends photo* Now send me one of you.

W: *takes a photo and sends it*

N: You look so much better than me

W: You're wrong, end of this discussion. You're too handsome to even be compared to me.

N: Shut up

W: It's true

N: You're not good at lying

W: I'm not lying.

N: Forget about it. Send me some song recommendations

W: Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale, Sarcasm by Get Scared, Choke by IDKHBTFM, Ghosts by Mayday Parade, and Medicate by AFI

N: Thanks, I'll listen to those on YouTube right now

W: Tell me if you like them afterwards, I'll give you more.

N: I'll probably like them all, since we have similar music taste

W: Yeah, probably

***

Will smiled as he walked towards his lunch table. He saw Nico sitting there, talking to Lou and grinning a little bit. He was getting better, even if the progress was slow. Will sat down next to Nico and whispered in his ear.

"Did you tell them?"

Nico shook his head. "Should I?"

"I'll tell them." Will replied.

"Tell us what?" Lou asked, right in Will's face.

"I'm gay," Confessed Will. "Nico and I are dating now."

Lou pumped her fist in the air. "I knew it!"

She kicked Will. "You're telling me about this later."

"You don't have to kick me." Will muttered. "Jeez."

Will started to hum Victorious by P!ATD for no reason. Lou began to sing, so Will sang instead. Nico and Cecil joined.

Soon the whole table was singing it.

"My touch is black and poisonous and nothing like my punch drunk kiss, I know you need it, do you feel it, drink the water, drink the wine!"

They continued to sing the rest of the song while the teachers and other students looked at them, confused. 

Will smiled. "We should just tape a picture of Brendon Urie to the table so everyone knows we love P!ATD."

"We know you have an obsession, Will." Lou commented.

"I think Nico likes P!ATD more than me," Will announced. 

"They're my 2nd favorite band, the first being MCR." Nico informed.

"The true emo king." Will called Nico. "You wear black everyday, have an emo fringe, listen to the music, and you always seem annoyed."

"I really am an emo king." Nico realized. "I wear all black and skinny jeans in the summer."

"HOW?" Will asked. "I can't even wear a black tank top without burning up."

"It's probably because I don't go outside." Nico figured.

"Why not?" Will protested. "It's nice outside."

"There's nothing to do." Nico explained.

"Because Will isn't out there?" Travis suggested.

Will kicked him and Nico glared at him. Eventually lunch ended and they all had to go back to class. Will walked out of the lunchroom, arm on Nico's shoulder. Unknown to them, Lou took some photos as blackmail.

***

Will and Nico walked out of the school, backpacks on their shoulders. It was a Wednesday, so he had to go to his father's office. That didn't mean right away though, since the secretary had finally came back from her vacation. 

"Do you want a ride home?" Will asked Nico. "I don't get how you walk to and from school every day and you don't exactly live close."

Nico shrugged. "I get up early and yes, I accept your offer."

Will and Nico walked to Will's car on the far side of the parking lot. Will unlocked the car and opened the door for Nico before getting in the driver's seat. Nico set his backpack by his feet and Will threw his in the back. 

"I'm cold." Nico complained.

Will turned on the heat. "That's why you wear a jacket or a long sleeved shirt. It's November."

"Then I can't show off my band t-shirt." Argued Nico.

"You don't need to show off your shirt when you're attractive." Will commented. "It lets people know you like that band, but you'd look great without it."

Nico smiled. "I'm not taking my shirt off."

"It's under 40 degrees in here, you better not." Will remarked.

Nico smiled. Will loved it when Nico smiled. Weeks ago, he wouldn't have. He would have given Will a blank stare and mumbled something about how he definitely wasn't hot. He was still insecure, but not as much. 

"What would you do if I kissed you?" Nico asked.

He was always asking those sort of questions. He did that to ask Will out and on multiple other occasions. If someone said they'd punch him or anything, he wouldn't take the chance. It was a smarter way of asking people things. They would still probably know you wanted to kiss them or copy their homework, but wouldn't do anything about it. 

In response to Nico's question, Will kissed him. Nico was surprised, but eagerly kissed Will back. He'd been longing to kiss him ever since they met. They kissed for a long while, probably longer than they should have.

"We should probably go now." Nico informed. "I don't want to get home late and anger my stepmother."

Will nodded. "Yeah."

Nico instructed Will on where and when to turn. When they reached Nico's street, he made Will stop there and let him out. He didn't want his stepmom to see Will dropping him off. Will kissed Nico on the cheek before he left. Nico blushed. Will waved goodbye and watched Nico walk into his house. Then he drove home.

***

Will and Nico sat on a bench in the playground near Will's house two days later. Will was doing his calculus homework with Nico watching to make sure he didn't make any mistakes. There were a few other people in the playground. Some middle school age looking boys played basketball on the other side of the trees and a little boy ran around, going down the slide and climbing things.

It was cold outside, so Nico wore a fuzzy jacket and had his head resting on Will's shoulder.

"Hey mister," He asked. "What's your name?"

"My name is Nico." Nico answered.

"Who's he?" The boy questioned, pointing to Will.

"That's my boyfriend," Nico told him. "His name is Will. What's yours?"

"I didn't know boys could have boyfriends!" The boy exclaimed. "My name's Jack. Can you push me on the swing?"

"Sure!" Nico smiled.

He got up and looked at Will, who gave him an encouraging nod. He and Jack walked over to the swing. Jack sat down and Nico began to push him. 

Jack smiled. "Higher!"

Nico pushed him a little higher. "Be careful, you don't want to fall off."

Jack laughed. "But I want to fly!"

"You will someday." Nico bet. "You're gonna go far, kid."

Will smiled, remembering that he had made Nico listen to You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring. He wouldn't stop listening to it. Will was worried he'd start a cult and sacrifice people to Dexter Holland.

Jack asked Nico to stop the swing, and he obliged. Jack waved to Will and walked over to a ginger woman reading a book, probably his mom. He looked nothing like her though. Nico sat back down with Will, who had just completed his homework and was putting it in his backpack. Nico laid his feet in Will's lap and put his arms out so the insides were visible. 

Will saw Nico's arms and pulled him up. He grabbed his boyfriend's left wrist.

"When did you do this?" He asked. 

"Right before I asked you out," Nico admitted. "I was scared, sad, and alone. I didn't know if you'd say yes. I regret it out."

Will pulled a pack of Crayola markers out of his backpack and started drawing on Nico's arm with a red marker.

"What are you doing?" Nico inquired. "I don't want skin poisoning."

"You'll see," Will said, pulling out the next marker. "Also, they're non-toxic so you're fine."

When Will finished, Nico looked at his arm and grinned. Will had drawn a rainbow over Nico's scars.

"I want you to draw on your arms whenever you want to hurt yourself." Will ordered. "If I see any fresh scars, you're in trouble.

Nico nodded. A little kid laughed at the other side of the playground. Jack was smiling at a woman, maybe in her 30s. She gave him a high five and sat down next to his mom. Will looked at his phone and saw the time. He figured Nico should probably go home soon so his stepmom wouldn't be too mad. 

"Let's go," Will told Nico. "I'm taking you home."

Will and Nico grabbed their backpacks. They walked towards Will's car, the only red vehicle in sight.

"Bye Nico and Will!" Jack shouted when they passed.

"Bye Jack," Nico waved to him. Will did the same.

Nico turned to Will.

"I miss being a kid," He reminisced. "Life was so much better back then. I was happy, innocent, and carefree. The my stepmother came along."

"Being a kid was great." Will agreed. "We can't relive those days, but we'll always remember them."

Nico nodded. "Let's go home."

*** 

Over a week later, Will followed his father out of the office. It was almost 12 at night since his father had work to do. He was listening to music and had a gnawing pit in his stomach that was only growing wider. He was going to come out to his father, but he was terrified. What if he didn't accept him or reacted like Nico's stepmother? Will knew his father was nice and cared about him, but he was still worried.

Will followed his father to the car. He got in the passenger seat and looked out the window for the first few minutes of the drive. He didn't sing along or pay attention when We Are The Champions, a song he loved, came on the radio. 

"Are you okay?" Will's father asked, noticing his son's ignorance.

Will nodded and continued listening to his music. After a song ending, he paused it. The gaping in his stomach was getting wider and wider as he started to open his mouth.

"Dad," Will said, his voice shaking. "I want to tell you something."

"Go on," His father urged. "I won't judge."

"I-I'm gay." Will stuttered.

His father smiled. "Hi gay, I'm dad."

He groaned. "Please, no more dad jokes."

"Does this have something to with a short, pale boy that wears black all the time?" Will's dad asked.

"Yes," Will admitted. "We're, uh, we've been dating as of last week."

"I accept that, Will." His father grinned. "You'll always-"

Will's phone rang, buzzing in his front pocket. He looked at his father, then took his phone out and saw that Nico was calling him. He usually just texted him. He answered the phone with a casual hey. Then he heard sobbing.

"Are you okay?" Will asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's my stepmother." Nico cried. 

"What about her?" Will questioned.

"She slapped me hard on the face and left a mark I think because I dropped and broke a plate putting the dishes away. She made me pick them up and kicked me because I wasn't picking it up fast enough. I cut my arm on the plate." Nico informed.

"That's horrible! Are you bleeding?" Will inquired. 

"Yes." Nico confirmed.

"Put pressure on it, it'll hopefully stop the bleeding." Will instructed. "Where are you?"

"A football field near my house. 3239 Oak Lane. I don't think the bleeding is going to stop." Nico told him.

"Alright," Will sighed. "I'm going to tell my dad, I'm in the car with him."

Will turned to his dad. "Nico was attacked by his stepmother. He's bleeding and can't go home."

Will's father sighed. "We'll go pick him up. You can see his injuries and wrap him in bandages."

Will's father plugged in the coordinates Nico had told Will into his car gps. It was ten minutes away.

"We'll be there soon." Will told Nico. "Just stay where you are."

They drove in silence. Will wished his father would drive faster, but he was driving as fast as he could without going over the speed limit. Will kept his eyes on the gps, watching the time. He needed to get to Nico. 

Will looked out the window when they arrived. He saw Nico standing on the side of the field clutching his arm. Will opened the car door quickly and ran to him. Nico was crying and his arm was bloody. The right side of his face had a red mark that was clearly a hit from someone's palm. 

"Let me see your arm." Will ordered.

Nico held out his left, blood covered arm.

"Oh my god." Will gasped. "Keep putting pressure on it."

Will turned to his father, who was getting out of his car. He grabbed Nico around the waist and led him closer to the car.

Will's dad looked at Nico's arm then quickly looked away. He handed Will the bandages that were always kept in the car.

"It's really bad," Will announced. "He needs to go to the hospital."

Will took the bandages from his father and began wrapping them around Nico's arm.

"That'll do for now." Will said when he finished. "It should slow the bleeding a lot."

Will father opened the driver's seat door of the car.

"Get in," He said. "Let's go to the hospital.

Will got in the middle seat in the back. Nico got in after and sat on the right of him. Will reached over him and shut the door.

"Are you okay?" Will asked.

"No," Nico responded quietly.

"You'll be okay." Will gently assured. "Has this happened before?"

There were a few moments of silence. "Yes,"

"How many times?" Will questioned.

"I lost count," Nico admitted. "Mainly it was just verbal. She'd call me hurtful things every day, but only hit me once every month or two. It wasn't as bad before I came out to her a couple years ago."

"A few years is a long time," Will softly intoned. "You should have told someone."

"I didn't trust anyone," Nico explained. "I trust you, but I didn't even trust my sister back then. It kept getting worse and worse and I was too scared to tell anyone."

"You're alright now," Will comforted. "I won't let her anywhere near you. You're not going back unless it's safe."

"Thank you," Nico praised. "If it weren't for you, I'd have locked myself in my room and let myself bleed out."

Nico laid his head down on Will's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"We're almost at the hospital." Will's dad announced.

Nico's response was only a grunt. When the car stopped, Will opened the door. Nico got out, Will right behind him. Will shut the door behind him. He held his hand out to Nico, who took it silently. Will's dad looked and their hands linked together and grinned.

Nico, Will, and Will's dad walked into the emergency room. They stood at the front desk, in front of a nurse. It was only them in the room. Not many people come to the emergency room after midnight, Will figured. 

"What's your problem?" The nurse asked, then looked at Nico. She stared at the red hand mark on his face, the blood covered bandage on his arm, and his linked hands with Will. 

"I'm still bleeding and I was cut on a dirty, broken plate over 20 minutes ago." Nico answered dryly.

"Your name?" The nurse inquired.

"Nico di Angelo." He said.

"And who are these people with you?" She questioned.

"My boyfriend and his dad." Nico declared.

"And how did you happen to get cut on the plate?"

Nico was silent. He looked down at the floor.

"His stepmother hit him when he dropped the plate." Will confessed. "He was knocked over and impaled his arm on the sharp edge of the broken plate. He ran away and we picked him up and brought him here after he called me."

The nurse walked out from behind the desk. She looked sad and shocked at Will had told her, but quickly regained her composure.

"Follow me," She ordered and walked down the hallway behind her. She led them into a small room.

"Dr. Renolds will see you in a minute." She uttered.

Nico and Will shared the seat meant for two people while Will's father sat in the chair beside Will, only separated by a small piece of wood. A woman walked into the room a minute or two after they sat down. She was petite. Short and thin, with curly brown hair and glasses.

"My name is Dr. Renolds." She introduced. "Who here is in need of medical attention?"

Nico stuck out his bloody bandage covered arm. "I think it's stopped bleeding."

"Alright," Dr. Renolds said. "Who bandaged this?"

Will raised his hand. "I'm going to be a doctor one day."

"Good job," Dr. Renolds complimented. "You'll be a great doctor someday."

"Come sit up here," She said to Nico, pointing to the chair in the middle of the room.

Nico did as told. Dr. Renolds slowly unwrapped the bandage from Nico's arm and threw it in the trash can next to her. The wound had stopped bleeding, but it looked horrible. The wound was long, wide, and jagged. Will watched as Dr. Renolds cleaned and inspected it.

"He's going to need stitches." She announced.

Dr. Renolds rummaged through a cabinet above the sink and got out the necessary supplies. She began by numbing the area around the wound.

"One of you may want to hold his hand," Dr. Renolds suggested. "It's a slightly painful process."

Will stood up and walked over to Nico. He grabbed his the hand on is uninjured arm and squeezed.

"This won't take long." He reassured.

Dr. Renolds began to sew the wound closed. Nico and Will made eye contact the entire time.

"Done."Dr. Renolds announced.

Nico let out a sigh of relief. "That wasn't so bad."

Nico looked at stitches and moved his arm up and down. 

"You'll need to come back in two weeks to remove the stitches," Dr, Renolds advised. "Put some antibiotic cream on the wound and keep it clean. You can go out on your left. Make sure to check out with the nurse at the desk to pay."

Nico, Will, and, Will's dad turned left and walked down the hallway. They arrived at the lobby where they had came in. The same nurse was there, behind her computer. 

"The cost will be 1,825.43," She told Will's dad. 

"I have my stepmom's credit card." Nico announced. "Could I use that?"

"As long as she's willing to pay for it when she gets the bill." The nurse explained.

Nico looked at Will and shrugged. "I'll use it."

He handed the nurse the credit card,

"I'll just have to ask you a few questions for security reasons." She replied. "What is your stepmother's full name and when was she married to your father?"

"Laurina Emily di Angelo, and she was married to him 6 years ago, so 2012." Nico reasoned.

The nurse nodded. "Correct. When is your birthday?"

"January 28, 2002." Stated Nico.

"You're all set to go." Announced the nurse.

The three of them walked out of the hospital, back to the car. 

"We'll go back to our house." Will's dad asserted."Nico can stay overnight."

Nico rested his head on Will's shoulder like he did earlier. He was halfway asleep when the car pulled in the driveway. 

"Nico, we're here." Will breathed. "You have to get up, you can't sleep in the car."

"Sure I can." Nico refused.

"I will forcefully make you come inside." Will informed him.

"No you won't." Demurred Nico.

Will sighed. "I gave you a chance." 

He unbuckled Nico and grabbed him. He began to carry him bridal style down the driveway.

"Put me down!" Nico ordered. 

"No," Will rejected. "Not until you agree to come inside."

Nico groaned. "Fine."

He walked through the door and into the house. Nico looked around the open hallway he was in, looking at pictures of young Will on the wall.

"Come on," Will said, taking his arm and dragging him into the living room. "You can look at the house tomorrow."

Will and Nico sat on the couch, facing Will's father.

"I'll give Nico my bed and I can sleep on the couch." Will offered.

"I don't think I want to be alone." Nico mumbled.

Will looked at his father. "We'll both sleep in my bed then."

Will's dad raised an eyebrow.

"It's one in the morning and the last few hours have been stressful," Will argued. "We're not going to do anything."

"Alright," Will's father agreed. "Just go to bed."

Will walked into his room, Nico behind him. Nico looked around, noticing the neatness and all the items on display on the wall or the drawer. Will turned the main light off and turned on the one right beside the bed. Will crawled in bed, moving all the way to the end of it. Nico crawled in after him. They laid sideways. Nico was curled into a ball with his head on Will's chest. Will turned out the light and wrapped his arm around Nico.

"Will, I want to tell you something." Nico informed. 

"Okay." Will replied.

"I tried to kill myself twice." Nico admitted.

"I know." Will said sadly, outlining a heart shape on Nico's back with his finger.

"Do you know why or when?" Asked Nico.

"No." Will responded.

"I tried to cut a vein on my wrist open when I was 14 and failed because Bianca heard me crying and unlocked my door with the spare key." Nico muttered. "I did it first when I was ten after I told my stepmom I was gay and didn't expect her to yell at me and hit me. I ran outside and tried to jump in front of a car. I didn't die, but I was injured pretty badly."

"Promise me you'll never attempt it again." Will insisted.

"I promise," Nico swore. "I never thought I'd live to see my life getting better. It's because of you. I love you Will."

"I love you too Nico." Will responded.

"My stepmother will get what she deserves." Nico added.

"We'll get this all sorted out." Will whispered. "She'll be charged with child abuse. We could take you in. We could get another bed and you could sleep in here with me."

Nico smiled. "That'd be amazing. I haven't had a safe home for a long time."

"You will now." Will told him. "I swear."

Nico moved his head so it was resting between Will's collarbones and chin. He was small, so it fit well.

"Goodnight Will," Nico whispered.

"Goodnight Nico." 


End file.
